Speed limit on Yamuna Expressway reduced. Violation to attract ₹2,000 fine

If you are driving on Yamuna Expressway from next weekend, be sure you keep the speed under check. The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), the agency which regulates rules and is responsible for maintenance of the expressway, has issued notification that new speed rules will be applicable soon. The speed limit, which is currently at 100 kmph for light vehicles like cars and two-wheelers, will be reduced from December 15. The decision has been taken as a precautionary step to prevent accidents on this stretch due to fog.

The authority has said that while the speed limit will be reduced to 80 kmph for light vehicles, the speed limit for heavy vehicles like trucks and buses will be reduced to 60 kmph. The new traffic rule will kick in from December 15 and will continue till February 15 next year. “We have decided to reduce the speed limit of light and heavy vehicles for the safety of commuters on Yamuna expressway. With reduced speed, driving becomes a little safer," said Arun Vir Singh, chief executive officer at the YEIDA. Violation of the revised speed limit will be punishable offence leading to fine of up to ₹2,000.

The Yamuna Expressway is one of the busiest road networks connecting cities like Delhi, Noida, Mathura and Agra through the six-lane expressway. The YEIDA says that nearly half of all accidents that take place on Yamuna Expressway are due to over-speeding, which contributes to around 19 per cent of such incidents. During the winter months, the expressway is often engulfed in thick fog leading to pileups more often. Stationery vehicles too contribute to accidents in large numbers on the stretch.

Yamuna Expressway has CCTV cameras installed at regular intervals to monitor speed of vehicles. The authority is also taking measures to prevent fatalities by asking toll operators at the expressway to set up crash barriers between Greater Noida and Agra as soon as possible. Crash barriers can help stop a vehicle from toppling over to the other side and prevent multiple accidents.